The Golden
by Words-drip-from-my-fingertips
Summary: She remains ever Valiant. He remains ever young. She grows up, then goes back, grows up, then goes back. He doesn't know what to make of her, she breaks all the normal rules. But then again, so does he. All children must grow up.
1. Diplomats and Dancing

_The golden-haired queen was the epitome of freedom and youth. Wherever her light footsteps pattered laughter spread like mist. Her long, wild locks often were filled with forgotten twigs and leaves, but none would ever have thought her less lovely for them. She thought naught of growing up, only of goodness, and love, and dancing. She thought naught of politics, only of bare feet, adventures, and warmth. None could ever rival the sunshine that she brought to a room, except, perhaps, Aslan himself._

Lucy found diplomatic meetings a bore, and really a rather silly joke. They were so formal, no one called each other by their first names and it was all "Lord," this and "High King," that, and "My esteemed brother," and Lucy couldn't stand it. That's not to say that she did not often address her siblings by their titles, for she did. But she did it in familiarity, not because of formality. No one ever said what they really meant in these discussions, and where in Aslan's name was the fun in that? Anyone who had known Lucy for any period of time would know that she _always _said what she meant and meant what she said.

The emissaries who encountered her were always quickly persuaded to her view of matters, if only for a moment. How could they not be, with her dazzling smiles, cartwheels, and skipping away? Lucy did not always realize the unintended effect she had on people, because she was always so utterly devoted to being herself and not caring what others had to say about it. On occasion, the siblings had found it to be detrimental to have her about when representatives were also. She had, once or twice, been so thoroughly _Lucy_ upon acquaintance with a foreign diplomat, that the visitor would forget his purpose entirely. It would fly from their heads as they were sucked into the whirlwind that was the youngest royal.

The remainder of such visits usually involved the constant need to pry their guest's eyes away from the enigmatic, golden haired child, and reminding them that there was business to attend to. It would not be amiss to say that as the years continued to pass, this particular issue seemed only to grow more severe.

Initially, it was simply a matter of fact that all four monarchs would be present at any negotiations or peace talks, unless occupied by other significant duties. But after the very first ambassadorial conference of the Pevensies' rule, Lucy was never required to attend another. The siblings were apt to ensure that Lucy was otherwise occupied, to her great amusement and pleasure. It would be unfair to say the meeting was a disaster, but the original intention of the gathering was never fulfilled.

It was not that Lucy did not care for peace, for she cared a great deal. But the littlest queen usually had her mind made up about a character before even hearing them speak. Some even said that she had the intuition of the Great Lion in her. She had a quaint habit of looking at a chap and saying, "He has a kind face,"

"If only he would smile more often, I'd like him rather more!"

"He brings good news."

"I expect the centaurs have frightened him out of his wits!"

And, in the rare instance, "He will be nothing but trouble."

Lucy was not present when their first guest initially arrived, so the family of sovereigns (minus one) greeted the ambassador at the gates. Trusting that the youngest was already present in the throne room, which had been collectively decided was also to be used for meetings, the group set out towards it. Upon entrance to the throne room with the envoy, however, all were stopped short. There they beheld Lucy, humming and stamping and twirling around the room with the hem of her dress caked in fresh mud. Her small feet were shoeless, and made little slapping noises as she leaped about the polished stone floor.

Her eyes brightened when she became conscious of them standing there, and she ran to meet them without delay. Grasping the company by both his hands with no explanation, she pulled the startled Archenlander away and spun him for a good minute, before abandoning him to his dizziness. Her next victims were Susan and Peter, who protested quite violently. But no one has ever been able to resist Lucy and her antics for long, and her giggles drowned them out. Her eldest two siblings frequently would endeavor to tame her, and look on in fond frustration when they inevitably failed. Edmund would never dare to think himself capable of such a task, and instead left her to her whims, and allowed her light heart to temper his solemnity.

After several vigorous twirls, she left the Golden Crowns leaning against the wall, attempting to reorient themselves. The eyes of the Just King were already twinkling when it came to be his turn. They clasped hands, with an understanding gleam of wickedness passing between the two, before they proceeded to gallop across the entire length of the room with much gusto. They whooped and hollered at the top of their lungs, and soon half the castle stood at the ornate doors of the throne room. They marveled and cheered at the spectacle of the Silver Crowns dancing carelessly with bright smiles and a tornado of energy.

For if there is one thing you should know about the Cair, it is that all of its inhabitants were generally on Lucy's side, and had an especial fondness for the girl. She was easy to talk to (when there was any talking at all), and even if one had the greatest intention of being grumpy all day, it would vanish soon after encountering Queen Lucy.

When the younger two siblings finally collapsed to the ground panting, Lucy declared, "I dare say we ought to have ourselves some tea."

Edmund snorted from the ground beside her, "You say the oddest things, Lu."

She turned to look at him, "Well, it is an excellent idea, isn't it?"

Edmund laughed, "You know me, I'm starved, tea always sounds excellent."

They laughed together for moment before Lucy glanced at Edmund with curiosity, "Why, Ed, when _does_ that Archenland fellow get here?"

He sputtered "_Really_, Lu!" and gestured helplessly to their now befuddled guest.

She followed his motion, and her eyes widened in delight at the bedraggled visitor. "Oh, well I've rather ruined things, haven't I?" She asked cheerfully.

Peter groaned loudly, and Susan's gentle reproach followed, "Lucy!"

Susan moved towards their guest, eager to smooth the first impression, "I do apologize on behalf of my dear sister, she isn't always like this—"

Here, Peter cut in, "Now, Su! Don't give him false hope!

* * *

><p>"A lot we could do! said Edmund, "when we haven't even got anything to eat!"<p>

_Chapter 6_

"How Edmund hoped she was going to say something about breakfast!"

_Chapter 11_

"And they entered into friendship and alliance with countries beyond the sea and paid them visits of state and received visits of state from them."

"But as for Lucy, she was always gay and golden-haired..."

_Chapter 17 _

_The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_

**I will try my very best throughout this tale to keep all characters accurate to their originals, but as this is a fic, there will be some wavering. Please feel free to call me out on it, though! I love to know there are other fans devoted to the original stories.**

****Do let me know what you think so far! I know it's short and doesn't give the story right away, but don't worry, I'll get there.****

**Words-drip-from-my-fingertips**


	2. Daisy Curiosity

Lucy was of a rare variety of people, the type we no longer see so often. She felt deeply in all things, especially for others, but though she did feel sorrow at times, she never let it drag her down. She was perpetually optimistic and joyful. Being around her was like basking in the presence of a star (some who had enjoyed the pleasure of this particular experience knew it for a fact), and one couldn't help but become a little more joyful just by way of being near her.

The Valiant girl-queen often scampered, in her frequent escapades, to the playful waves of the radiant sea, and frolicked there without a care. She felt that the sea was hers and hers alone (though she couldn't really keep it _all_ to herself), and there she went when joy was all she felt. The water would lap at her toes as she sang it songs of hopeful lovers. Sometimes, she would dive deep into the waves, clad in only her chemise, abandoning her adventure worn clothing on the shore. She liked to play that she was searching for mermaids who she imagined were too shy to come to the surface and reveal themselves. Lucy had not forgotten the day of their coronation only a few months prior, when the eastern door had been flung open to the sea (her sea), and the merpeople had sung for them. She dreamed of one day finding them beneath the foaming blue-green waves.

And if she was not there, then the dim green light of the woods would find her, clinging to the branches of the trees. She was very rarely indoors when she could help it, though she could recall a time when she spent nearly all her time inside, but she couldn't remember exactly when that was. The foliage and mossy floor knew her almost as well as the seaweed and warm sand between her toes. The woods that whispered housed her friends. All the creatures she loved dearly there lived, and the trees were her companions on her walks. With the fauns and satyrs she danced their wild dances, and teased the naiads in their streams. She wore her own winding paths that wove through the endless woods, leading her anywhere and everywhere.

Whenever those tiny feet (for she _was _only eight years old) ventured into the forest shade, everything jumped to life. It was like the woods themselves could sense her presence, and had been waiting on bated breath for her return. The birds sang more earnestly, the greenery perked up, dumb wildlife would peek out at her from behind trees, and the Talking Beasts would come out from their hidey-holes to greet her. The trees themselves would stretch and yawn and begin moving about. And sometimes, in Lucy's extraordinarily happy moments, she would possess her own brand of magic, wildflowers springing up in her wake.

And there it was, beneath the trees, that a friend was made, of whom she could make neither head nor tails.

They met, and their friendship was born in typical Lucy fashion. It would seem nonsensical to most everyone else, and perhaps even unsafe. But Lucy was never one to care for the opinion of others, nor to go about things the way everyone else did.

It was a warm summer afternoon, and Lucy had been among the trees since dawn. She was determined. She was going to make the longest daisy chain any world _are there other worlds? What a strange thought_ had ever known. It was a marvel, watching her scuttle here and there in her quest for daisies every time her supply ran out. And you can understand that because of this, at least half the forest was absorbed with what their little Queen was up to, and any creature who had not noticed her before became acquainted on this day with the odd royal.

It was for this reason that his attention was first drawn to her. His woods were awfully tame that day, and seemed to know something he did not. And he knew everything that went on in the forest. So he set out to learn the secret that the trees had been keeping from him (and keeping quite well, the little devils). Naturally, he was lead to the source of their fascination.

Lucy sat contentedly on the dirt floor, nimble fingers weaving daisies together in an ever lengthening rope. She only paused in her work when she reached for another daisy, just to realize her stockpile was gone. Laying the cord down, she rose to her feet and admired the twisting trail it made around trees, over their roots, and towards the Cair, until she could no longer distinguish where it led. Satisfied with her hours of work (no matter how short a time she knew the product would last), she spun around, ready to explore her beloved woods once more. And promptly stumbled backwards with a gasp.

"Oh!"

For there, settled in front of her was a boy with hands resting on his hips, gazing at her with blatant curiosity. They blinked at each other, her in shock, and him in observation.

Recovering her manners (not that Lucy paid them much mind the majority of the time), she spoke cautiously, "Hello."

The older child looked down at her smaller form, "Who are you?" he demanded abruptly.

"Why, I'm Lucy!" she responded in a huff.

He nodded and did not offer his name in return. He turned away from her and bolted into the trees.

_Well, that was odd._ She shrugged (for what troubles a grown-up will never trouble a child), and glanced down at her grimy hands, rubbing them absentmindedly against her gown. She twisted her head and peeked once more at her daisy chain before setting off. Or that was the plan.

Instead, she stumbled back and this time landed squarely on her bum. She shot an accusing look at the boy who stood before her once more, one hand held out to help her up and the other behind his back.

She grasped it grudgingly and he pulled her to her feet. "You can't keep doing that you know," Lucy grumbled.

They locked eyes for a moment. Then, whipping his left hand out from behind his back, he held out a single daisy to her.

She beamed at him.

And I suppose that's when their peculiar friendship truly began.

* * *

><p>"He had wonderful tales to tell of life in the forest. He told about the midnight dances and how the Nymphs who lived in the wells and the Dryads who lived in the trees came out to dance with the Fauns;"<p>

_Chapter 2_

"...and her own people called her Queen Lucy the Valiant."

"And through the eastern door, which was wide open, came the voices of the mermen and the mermaids swimming close to the shore and singing in honour of their new Kings and Queens."

_Chapter 17_

_The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_

**Hope you enjoyed! This chapter should have given you a slight taste of what's to come. Again, attempting to stay as accurate to the original Lucy as possible, even her age.**

**Words-drip-from-my-fingertips**


	3. Species: Impossible

He clearly was no dwarf, too tall and lanky. And he was much too short to be a giant. He was a boy, she thought, and not a nymph, though an imp, perhaps she could believe. Yes, she could believe that. He was always playing tricks (which were harmless) and joking around. He talked not of dry things with she, and only of pirates, and treasure, and merriment. He was clever and boisterous, and loved to play as much as she did. And they continued in playing, playing together.

She knew not exactly how this friendship came to be, only that he was there, and so was she. In fact, she could not put a timeline to most of their friendship, it felt like they had known each other forever, and it would always continue to be so. Who or what he was, she could not fathom in the slightest, for he could not be a Son of Adam. Mr. Tumnus told her when they met that he'd never come across a Son of Adam or Daughter of Eve before; even the White Witch did not know Edmund to be a boy at first. Of course, the Archenlanders and Calormenes were Human, but Lucy had never heard of them in Narnia before.

But then, what was he? Surely, he was as wild as a faun, but had no fur, or hooves, or horns. The woods were his domain, but he had neither tree nor river to return to. He was a mystery, albeit a playful, mischievous mystery. But, My! Didn't he seem Human? Maybe the best sort of Human she had ever met. Lucy found no burning need to solve him; a playmate was a playmate, after all, and those were few and far between. Being who she was, however, there was always a lingering curiosity.

He was always quite unashamedly filthy, and wore clothes woven of greenery. His untamed curls rivaled her own, and his emerald eyes sparkled with life. Admittedly, the beloved queen's gowns were regularly as torn and soiled as her companion's attire, but neither ever took much notice. They did not dwell on appearances; though perhaps they would not have been so drawn to each other if they had not both looked so wild.

Lucy _lived_ in everything she did, and she loved with all of her heart, and Peter (for that was his name) rapidly became a most dear friend. When she learned his name (she could not tell you when that was, or for how long they had been acquainted), she was sure to tell him straightaway that he was not at all like her brother, the king.

He laughed and laughed, and laughed some more at this. "I have heard of him! Me? Like _that_ grown-up?"

Lucy had to admit that the high king _was_ quite grown-up. "But is there something so very wrong with growing up?"

She learned that day that this was not the question to ask him. "Of course! Growing up means _responsibilities_, and no more adventures, or laughing, or anything fun!"

"But surely, that is not true! His Majesty still has fun. And why, you're a great deal older than I, and we never cease to have fun." Lucy did not think about growing up very often, but when she did, she did not think it would be so terrible as Peter made it sound.

"But I am still a boy, and I shall _never_ grow older!"

Lucy silently disagreed with him. One couldn't remain young simply because one wished it, though he seemed quite adamant.

"Are you?" She asked instead.

"Am I what?" He shot back, in his usual humor, "You tell me."

"Well, a boy. Are you a boy?"

Her expression held so much puzzlement that he let out a merry little laugh before replying, "Of course I am! Did you think I was a Man?" Now he looked mildly offended. "I'm much too young to be _that_!"

Lucy cocked her head to the side, "But there oughtn't to be any Sons of Adam in these parts."

"I'm not the son of anybody," he declared vehemently.

"Well, that is to say, are you Human?"

"Are you?" He snarked back.

"Why, of course I'm Human!"

"Then so am I. If you're Human, then why can't I be?"

"But it _is _different! My siblings and I came through the War Drobe. We're not from here."

A look of utter confusion passed over Peter's face, "I haven't the faintest idea what a War Drobe is, but I'm not from here either."

Lucy's eyes grew wide, "You do mean you come from Archenland or Calormene, don't you?"

"Not at all. I used to live on the second star."

"I don't think I understand at all. I've heard tell that the stars are people. How can you live on one?"

"I'm sure they _are_ people! Can you imagine me just sitting upon one of their heads like an eccentric hat?"

"Peter! Truly, how does one live on a star?"

"Well, in the other world—"

Here she exclaimed, "Other world!"

"Didn't you know? There are so many other worlds."

Her forehead crumpled in thought, "Why, I think I did know! I've forgotten somehow, but we came from one— England, it is called. But, really it's so much nicer here."

"Yes, well, in other places stars_ aren't_ people, and one _can_ live on them. And if you couldn't, I did it just to spite everyone."

Lucy was certain she was even more confused now than when they had begun the conversation. Their conversations often went like this, and it was becoming less and less strange to her.

If he _was_ a boy (she couldn't see what else he could be, and besides, he said he was), then she wondered how he and Mr. Tumnus or the White Witch had never managed to meet. It was all very strange. These were the only things she really wondered about, and at her age the thoughts of how very dangerous a boy could be to her heart were nonexistent.

* * *

><p>"We've heard of Aslan coming into these parts before - long ago, nobody can say when. But there's never been any of your race here before."<p>

_Chapter 8_

"You are in fact Human?"  
>"Of course I'm human," said Lucy, still a little puzzled.<br>"To be sure, to be sure," said the Faun. "How stupid of me! But I've never seen a Son of Adam or aDaughter of Eve before."

"Meanwhile," said Mr Tumnus, "it is winter in Narnia, and has been for ever so long, and we shall both catch cold if we stand here talking in the snow. Daughter of Eve from the far land of Spare Oom where eternal summer reigns around the bright city of War Drobe, how would it be if you came and had tea with me?"

_Chapter 2_

_The Lion, the Witch, the Wardrobe_

**And now we're getting into it!**

**I'd encourage all my readers to periodically go back and reread previous chapters, as I edit frequently. I will very rarely change anything, but will add and tweak along the way. I constantly try to improve my writing :)**

**Words-drip-from-my-fingertips**


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